Experiment Two: Aliferous
by Wooden Shoe
Summary: Aliferous. Adjective. Defention: Having wings; winged. It's been two years since the brothers saved Maria, and since the birth of Elisabetta. Now more mutants have come, and they're much less friendly. I highly recommend reading Experiment One: Mother of Mutants, before you read this.
1. Chapter 1

_Rewritten chapter! It's been about two years since Mother of Mutants takes place._

* * *

It all happened too suddenly.

At one moment, everything was peaceful. The family sat in the living room, enjoying the comfort of a lazy day and each other's company. Raph was teaching Maria to knit, Don was playing checkers with Mikey, Leo was tending to the sharp edge of his katanas, Master Splinter was nursing a mug of tea and smiling as baby Etta, sitting on her chubby rump, tried to catch his slowly writhing tail.

And in the next moment, it erupted. Three figures dropped from the ceiling, fluttering down like feathers and screaming like murdered souls. Instantly, the family snapped out of their happy afternoon and into combat mode- the brothers pulled out their weapons and went to battle; Splinter grabbed baby Etta and passed her to Maria, and the three of them ran to the safety of the locked bathroom.

The brothers got a good look at the intruders as they fought; three dark-skinned women, with wings of different colors and sizes sprouting from their backs. like angels. Vengeful angels, out to take souls. 

Mikey took the smallest- the youngest, undoubtedly, with grey-brown speckled wings; she easily dodged his nunchaku, her short brown curls bouncing with her every move.

Don took the middle woman, who silently abstained from joining in the others' screams, her wings tawny and mottled, her longer curls falling into her dull eyes.

Leo and Raph teamed up to take the oldest woman, and it was a good thing they did- she easily took the two brothers in a fight. Her wings were individually as long as Raph was tall, white streaked with black. Her skin was the darkest of the three women, nearly as black as her hip-length braid and the streaks in her feathers. She almost overpowered the older two brothers, dodging and punching with wings and fists. She often flicked her wings, sending herself aloft; out of their range, attacking from above. When she landed once more, Raph grabbed for her braid- a desperate, dishonorable move, and one he paid for; he yelled and quickly released her, his palm bleeding- she'd braided barbed wire into the weave of her hair.  
She whirled and punched his throat, hooking her foot behind his ankle to make sure he fell and stayed down. She turned back to Leo, just as he swung a katana- she caught his wrist, stopping the blow before it could land. For a moment they were locked in a stalemate: Leo caught a glimpse into her eyes, narrowed under thick black brows. The dark of her irises melted into the small, contracted pupil. What he saw there: anger. Torment. The fires of the devil's realm, hidden in one person's soul.

The woman's face creased into a snarl, as if she knew what insight he'd found- she twisted against him, throwing him over her shoulder. Leo crashed hard to the cement floors, loosing his grip on his swords. The dark angel of fury wrenched one away from him and kicked the other out of his grip, raising it aloft.

Leo watched as his own blade turned against him; he could hear Raph getting to his feet, scrambling for his sais- and knew he would come to late. The sword flashed down- and halted a scarce breath away from his throat, stopped by the crack that echoed through the Lair- like thick wood snapping. The woman Donnie was fighting collapsed to the ground, wing at an awkward angle. Don rushed to his brother's aid; the oldest woman screamed again, as piercing as a bird of prey's cry, anger and worry and fear mixing into a single wail. She raised the sword again, moving to plunge it into Leo's heart.

Raphael didn't stop her.

Donatello didn't stop her.

Leonardo didn't stop her.

But her scream cut off and she slumped to the floor, the katana clattering beside her, steel clean. Master Splinter stood over her, holding his cane like a club. He glared around the ended battle.  
"What is the meaning of this attack?!"

They all looked past the two downed women to the third and youngest, the one Mikey now held in a headlock- and awkward position for both of them, with her sleek but hefty wings. She looked like a frightened child, small and fragile, hazel eyes wide and freckles sprinkled over her cheeks. "I... I can explain..."


	2. Chapter 2

_Rewritten chapter two_

* * *

"Your names," Splinter demanded, rapping his cane on the ground.

The youngest angel was quick to obey. "The one you knocked out is Harp. The one you broke is Screech. I'm Pere."

Behind her, Mikey snorted. "What kind of names are those?"

"We're named after the birds we are- Harp Eagle, Screech Owl, Peregrine Falcon." She wriggled and whimpered. "Could you please let me go? I promise I won't try to run."

MIkey glanced to Splinter, though his question was directed to his captive. "Or fly?"

"Or fly. I won't abandon my sisters."

Splinter nodded. Mikey released Pere; she rubbed her arms and twitched her wings.

Leo was standing, his swords returned to their sheaths. He couldn't see the family resemblance. The three women were of the same ethnic group, but that was it. Their eyes were different shades of the same color, yes, but that was where the similarity ended. Pere's eyes were innocent, bright; Screech's were a blank slate, dull and yet observed everything and remembered it all. Leonardo couldn't find a single spark of the inferno that burned in Harp's eyes- her "sisters" did not share in her fury.

Pere and Screech shared curled hair, but Screech's were long and elegant and black; Pere's were short and corkscrewed and brown. They shared the same pointed chin, but Pere's face was rounder and chubby with youth; Screech was made of delicate bones, with a thin nose, sleek jaw, and high cheekbones.

Harp bore no resemblance to the other two. Her braided hair was straight, and both her hair and skin were several shades darker than her "sisters'". Her nose was aquiline, proud. Her cheekbones, too, were high, but in an almost aggressive way. She was harder than the other two in every way. A warrior, a fighter. Not the kind of angel that sang in heavenly choirs, but the kind that fought heaven's battles.

Splinter remained standing over Harp, casting orders like a general. "Donatello, tend to Screech- Michelangelo and Raphael will help you. And the three of you figure out a way to bind these three. Leonardo, go get Maria and Etta."

Don crouched at Screech's sides, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Let's see what we have."

"Her wing's broken," Mikey supplied.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Raph growled. "Question is, _why_ does she _h_ _ave_ wings."

Mikey shrugged. "Dude, that's like asking why you have a shell."

"I can reset the bone," Donatello cut in, sounding a little annoyed. "Screech, you need to lay down on your front. Raph, grab her other wing- **gently**. Mikey, hold her hands, make sure she's calm. I'm going to go get some supplies."

Mikey nodded, helping Screech move to lay face down. The movement jarred her broken bones, undoubtedly causing excruciating pain, but she never parted her lips to make noise. When she was settled, Mikey sat cross-legged in front of her, taking her hands. "Don't worry, angelcakes."

Pere piped up from where Splinter was watching over her every move. "What did you call her?"

There was no anger, no incrimination in her voice, only curiosity. "Angelcakes- it's kinda like 'sweetheart' or 'baby girl'. I didn't mean anything bad by it."

Pere blinked owlishly. "Oh. But we're not angels. Harp doesn't like it when people call us that."

Mikey glanced at the down-and-out sister; he'd seen her fury and ferocity, too. "Oh."  
He turned back to Screech, maintaining his grin. "Okay then, Screech. Don's a good doctor; he patches us up all the time."

She didn't respond, gazing at him with nearly dull, unflinching eyes. Donatello walked back in, carrying a yardstick and a roll of bandages; Mikey glanced up at him. "I don't think she talks."

"She can talk," Pere insisted. "She just doesn't talk a lot."

Don knelt next to Screech's broken wing, drawing her eyes to him. "Can you talk?"

She gave a slow, slight nod. Even if it wasn't quite the answer he wanted, Don nodded back with a small smile. "I'm Donatello. Raphael's going to hold your other wing, so you don't hurt us. And Mikey's going to hold your hands- feel free to squeeze when it hurts. I'm going to set your wing now, okay?"

Another nod. Don gently took hold of the broken wing, signaling Raph to do the same. The hothead growled but knelt anyway, rough hands surprisingly tender as they caught hold of the uninjured wing, pinning the tawny feathers close to the woman's dark skinned back- much lighter than Harp's only a few shades darker than Pere's.

Donnie took a deep breath. "Okay, Screech, this is going to hurt, but I'll be quick. Ready?"

Her slim fingers tightened around Mikey's thicker digits. Taking that as a yes, Don expertly positioned himself. "On five. One. Two. Three-" he suddenly jerked, pulling the broken bone into place. Screech bucked in response, silently arching her back and lashing out with her other wing-sending Raph sprawling.

Mikey laughed as Raph got back to his feet; Don quickly placed the yardstick as a splint and wrapped it in place, then rocked back on his heels. "Well, she won't need any restraining; she's not going to be doing too much with that wing. But these other two..."

"We still have a few pairs of Halloween handcuffs," Raph offered. "And plenty of rope to tie their wings."

And that's what they did- quickly handcuffing the unconscious Harp's wrists and ankles, then using extra lengths of rope to bind her enormous wings. Thus far, Pere was working with them- they tied her wings, but only handcuffed her wrists. Leo came back out with Maria and baby Etta just as Raph was adding even more rope to Harp's wings.

"My goodness," Maria breathed, holding Etta tighter on her hip. "What are they?"

"We don't exactly know," Mikey breathed, holding Etta tighter on her hip. " _Sembrano angeli."_

"No eh-sprecken the Spanish, Maria," Mikey replied.

"That was Italian, Mikey," Maria sweetly returned. "I said they look like angels."

"They're not," Raph grunted, hefting Harp onto his shoulder, awkwardly trying to work his way around her bound wings. "Bein' called an angel gets their shorts in a twist."

Maria stepped out of his way; baby Etta giggled and reached out to touch the feathers- Maria pulled her back. "So what _are_ they?"

"Probably some type of mutant," Donnie guessed. "I'm putting my money on TCRI."

"Was anybody hurt?"

"Screech- that's the middle one- her wing's broken," Don reported.

Maria's eyes were quick to catch the way Raph held his hand, loose and tender. "And you, Raphael?"

Raphael winced as Maria gently took his wrist, examining his palm. "She braided her freakin' hair with barbed wire."

"Her neck's bleeding," Maria quietly observed, eyes flicking to Harp. She led Raphael to the nearby couch. "Leonardo, go get some cotton balls and disinfectant, please."

The oldest brother nodded and left, quickly returning with the needed materials. Maria took them and passed him baby Etta- Leonardo cradled her close to his plastron, smiling when she reached a small hand to pull at his mask ends.  
Maria tended to Raphael first, pouring disinfectant on a cotton ball and pressing it to his palm, murmuring soothing words in both Spanish and Italian when the hotheaded turtle hissed and curled his fingers.

When he'd been treated, she moved to Harp- the brothers all took a step closer, concerned. Harp was still unconscious, slumped where Raph had propped her against the wall- her shoulder to the bricks, since her wings wouldn't allow her to sit with her back to the wall. Maria set the medical supplies aside and started unbraiding the winged woman's hair, pricking her fingers on the barbed wire. When the long black strands were undone, their ends pooled on the floor and curtained Harp's face. Maria set aside the wire and brushed the masses of hair away, exposing the shallow scrapes on Harp's neck. She poured some hydrogen peroxide on a cotton swab and pressed it to the cuts.

Harp instantly erupted awake, roaring and rearing up. Raph grabbed Maria by her waist, pulling her back as Harp rose to her knees, straining at her handcuffs and trying to spread her wings. The cords of rope cut into the feathered flesh, drawing blood to leak red down the gray and white wings.

"Please stop," Maria calmly raised her voice, dangling like a doll in Raph's grip. "You're hurting yourself."

"My wings!" She snarled, still struggling against her restraints. Her voice was nothing like the musical instrument she shared a name with- it was furious and full of rage, scathing and hateful. No accent, New York or otherwise. Only anger. "Unbind my wings! Now!"

"Hey," Raph snarled, setting Maria on her feet and stepping in between her and the winged sisters. " _You_ aren't exactly in a position to be tossin' out orders."

Splinter cut off the argument with a raised hand, then tapped his cane on the ground, gaining the sisters' attention and meeting each of their gazes. "What are you?"

Pere and Screech looked to Harp, who spoke with her custom vehemence. "We are angels of a new world order, created with only one purpose- to destroy you. But we have failed our purpose, and have fallen. We are no longer angels."


	3. Chapter 3

_Rewritten chapter three_

* * *

Maria made the most protein-rich meal she had ingredients for- chicken alfredo. Don and Mikey served it to the sisters; Leo watched as they set a plate before each woman. Pere tried to take the fork, her bound hands clumsy and fumbling. Screech's hands were free, but she didn't reach for the food; she rapped her knuckles on the ground, two short knocks. Pere immediately paused, noodles slipping off the tines of her fork.

Harp had her head leaned back, resting against the wall with her eyes closed; but no one would be fool enough to think her harmless. Her chest rose as she took a deep breath. "It's fine, Pere. If they were going to kill us, they wouldn't have bothered with splinting Screech's wing, or restraining us."

Leo had been observing the sisters while the others made dinner; he'd started to recognize their quirks and positions.

Harp was the leader: that much was obvious. But she was hard to read, layers of savage rage hiding the rest of her personality. One thing Leo knew: Harp was willing to go through any pain for her sisters.

Screech, despite her name, was silent- she used movements to portray her thoughts. The other sisters knew exactly what each move meant- a nod to their close bond.

And Pere... well, she was Michelangelo in a womanly, winged body: bubbly, friendly, and energetic.

"We're not going to kill you," Donnie assured them, dropping three pills onto Screech's plate and handing her a glass of water. "Take these before you eat, they'll kick in quicker." The geek straightened, looking to Harp. "I'd even take a look at those cuts on your neck, if you'd let me."

Leo was about to learn another faucet of Harp's personality; stubborn pride.

Harp's head rose away from the wall and her eyes slid open, unsettling with her piercing glare. "No. I want nothing from you, least of all your help."  
She used her feet to shove her plate of alfredo away. "I will not be indebted."

The brothers stared at the outburst. Pere and Screech continued eating. Harp's stare was still as lethal when she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. Leo closed his eyes, too, then stood and left.

The brothers decided to keep constant watch on the sisters. They discussed the night watch over dinner; Leo stayed silent, letting his brothers claim their portion of the night. He took the unwanted shift, twelve to three in the morning.

Mikey took the first shift, leaving the rest of the family to go to bed. Leo set his alarm, but didn't sleep. He was a light sleeper; any slight sound awoke him. Master Splinter said it was his warrior's blood. Either way, the sound of Mikey chatting with Pere kept him awake. Leo flipped his pillow over and laid on the cool side, smiling wanly; he should've known the two would hit it off.

Two hours later, the chatter stopped when Don replaced Mikey. Leo could hear Don ask a few questions, mostly about how the girls' wings worked, and how Screech was doing. Pere answered that Screech was okay, but Harp hushed her before she could say anything else. The conversation stopped- Leo managed to drift off, but was still rooted in conciousness by the incessant tapping of Donnie's finger on electronic keys.

Leo finally caught some sleep through Raph's shift- the hothead didn't speak or fiddle. The alarm buzzed much earlier than Leo wanted, but he got up anyway. He went to the living room; Raph had dragged a kitchen chair over, sitting bent, twirling a sai. He nodded at Leo, flipping the sai back to his belt and standing up. He nodded at the sisters. "They're all out."

Leo eyed the sisters, lined in a row with their eyes shut. Pere and Screech had slumped forward, curled over their knees, wings nestled around them. Harp was in the same position she'd held all day; wings to either side, head back, resting against the wall.

Raph ambled back to his room. Leo watched him go; when he turned back, he gave a slight start at the sight of Harp's eyes, open and gleaming. He took a breath to steady himself. "You're awake."

"You took a longer night shift; I did the same."

Leo knew the other two sisters hadn't spoken since Don's shift, and caught the implication. "You've been awake all night?"

Harp didn't respond, silently holding his gaze. Leo lowered himself into the kitchen chair. They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, until Leo cleared his throat. "You... you didn't eat, um, are you hungry?"

"No."

"I...I could get you a drink?"

"No."

Leo was getting frustrated with civil conversation; he leaned closer, narrowing his eyes and scowling. "Then what _do_ you want?"

Harp mirrored him, leaning forward with a smirk and murder in her eyes. "You and your brother's hearts, roasted over a slow fire."

Leo felt his eyes widen as he leaned back. Harp maintained her smirk, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. Leo knew she wasn't asleep, but he didn't bother trying to talk for the rest of his shift.


	4. Chapter 4

_Rewritten chapter fou_ r

* * *

The next day, the aliferous sisters were given the opportunity to shower. It was the humane thing- they wouldn't be very honorable if they denied their captives basic rights. Pere went first; Mikey removed her handcuffs, looking over her sleek wings. "The shower might be too small for you..."

"I'll make do," Pere beamed. "You'd be surprised how flexible I can be."

"Birds don't usually get their wings wet, Mikey," Don chided. "I doubt the girls would, either."

"We aren't birds," Pere and Harp spoke at the same time, the first with casual correction and the second with spite.

Mikey lead Pere to the bathroom, pointing out the extra towels behind the door, and the fresh clothes Maria had given her. Pere beamed brighter and thanked them, then shut the door and locked it behind her. Mikey sat with his shell against the door, guarding just in case the sweet little sister decided to turn rogue and attack using the shampoo bottle.

After a few moments, the water turned on- and Pere started singing, sort of. It was mostly chirps and whistles, sometimes plain notes- not a recognizable song, just a voice wandering through whichever notes it wanted. Mikey grined, quietly beatboxing out a tempo.

Pere giggled at his addition, matching her song to the beat. Minutes later, the water turned off; she emerged from the steam-filled bathroom, dressed in Maria's hand-me-down white shirt and shorts, her curly hair wet and plastered to her back. Her wings were wet, too- she rubbed a towel over them, grinning down at Mikey. "You'd do well for a bird."

Screech was allowed to wash next- she forewent a shower for a bath, at Don's insistence she not wet her splint and bandages. She didn't sing- or make any noise, predictably- only the slosh and trickle of water as she bathed. Maria's maternity dress was the only thing that fit her height- the extra material that had gone over a pregnant belly now falling to her ankles, her wet hair hanging to her hips. She nodded her thanks, sitting beside Pere and patting her wings dry.

Leo hesitated to release Harp; she held his gaze as he freed her feet and hands; her eyes narrowed when he leaned away. "My wings."

"Do you promise to behave?" Leo asked. "No attacks?"

"I promise," Harp muttered, like it killed her to do so.

Leo nodded, moving behind her to untie the many ropes that bound her wings. When he finished, she lurched to her feet, shaking out her wings- but she didn't strike. He led her to the bathroom, Raph joining him to guard the locked door. The water turned on; forty-five minutes later, it hadn't shut off. Maria came to knock on the door, calling gently, "Harp? Are you alright?"

"Fine," came the reply.

"She's been in there for an hour," Raph growled.

"She's probably washing her hair," Maria explained, touching a light hand to his shoulder. "It takes a long time, especially with hair as long as hers. Not to mention her wings."

Still, Leo couldn't shake the suspicion that the eldest sister was looking for something to use as a weapon.

Just short of a full hour, Harp swung open the bathroom door, standing with her wet hair hanging down past her knees, still dressed in her own clothes- a white, neck-high halter-top and pants, nothing bared but for a bit of her neck, the whole of her dark arms and feet- she was standing on the balls of her feet, Leo noticed. She eyed the two brothers when they jumped to their feet. "Do you have an open area?"

"No," Raph bit back. "And why."

"I need to dry my wings."

"That's what towels are for," Raph snarked.

Harp held out a towel, soaking wet, a wordless reply.

"Why do you need an open area? To fly away?" Leo nudged his brother at this last comment, a signal to calm down.

"I just need to beat the water out of my wings," Harp explained. "And I was thinking you wouldn't water water all over your home."

Leo met Raph's eyes. "Alright.. But we're handcuffing you."

Hapr didn't fight the restraints, walking calmly between the brothers. Don and Mikey gave them matching questioning looks. Leo gave a short explanation. "We'll be back in a little bit."

Raph and Leo led Harp to an abandoned, dead end tunnel, standing between her and escape. She noticed their strategic positioning and scowled, turning her back to them. Her wings folded out to their full, immense length; then she flung them forward- water hit the far wall. She beat her wings a few more times, spraying the brothers and disturbing the water at their feet. Leo squinted his eyes at the wind and water kicked up by the beating wings- Harp was powerful.

When she was finished, her wings were ruffled but dry. She turned to them with a smirk. "I'm ready to go now."

Raph growled, shaking water off himself and grabbing her arm to escort her back. Leo noticed her gait lilted a little, graceful but odd, and looked down to see her walking on the balls of her feet. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Walk on your toes."

Hapr glanced down to her own feet. "My wings are heavy on my back- walking like this gives me better balance. And better grip."

"Grip?" Raph snorted.

Harp halted, raising one foot out of the runoff water to show him her bare toes- longer than a human's by far. "So I can perch on ledges and the like with out falling."

"So you're some kind of mutant," Raph growled. "I mean, you're obviously not human."

Harp shuffled in her wings, smirking to herself. "Well, not entirely."


	5. Chapter 5

_Rewritten chapter five._

* * *

Since Harp had kept her promise, they'd left her legs unbound. As an additional show of trust, they handcuffed her wrists in front of her, loosely- though her wings were still bound.

Except for now. Now she sat belly up to the dining table, ankles cuffed to the legs of the stool- her wings prevented her from sitting in any chair with a back. Leo and Raphael stood behind her, one to each shoulder; Maria and Splinter sat across the table, doing their best to negotiate and persuade. Despite their best efforts, Harp wasn't breaking.

"Harp, you need to eat."

"I am not hungry," Harp repeated for the tenth time, her flat voice developing a sharper edge.

"I made you tamales," Maria coaxed, nudging the plate of Mexican food closer to the winged woman. "If you don't like them, I can make something else."

"That is not necessary," Harp bit off each word. "I am not hungry."

"You haven't eaten if almost a week," Leo pointed out once more. The feat itself was an astounding show of restraint and discipline, but food was a necessity.

Raphael bent closer, hand clenched on the edge of the table. "You admitted that you're at least half human- humans gotta eat."

"I am not human," Harp growled, glaring at him out the corner of her dark eyes.

"That much is obvious," Raphael growled back, poking her wing. "Whatever kind of gene-splicin' petrie dish eperiment you are, you need food!"

Before anyone could chastise Raph, Harp was figuratively at his throat, rising as best she could from the stool she was bound to. "Do not touch my wings! Ever!"

"Hunger makes you angry," Maria tried to soothe; she leaned across the table, offfering a forkful of tamale. "At least one bite."

Despite Maria's best intentions, Harp looked affronted, eyes narrowing and mouth turning down. Splinter held up a hand, calming her. "Think of your sisters, Harp. They are most important to you, yes? You would sacrifice anything and everything for them?"

Harp nodded, suspicious of the rat's intent. Splinter continued, gesturing to the plate of food. "What good are you to them if you're weak from hunger?"

Anger washed from Harp's face, leaving behind the mild fury that she constantly kept alight; she looked from Splinter, to Maria and the fork she offered; then she straightened and turned her head, looking out into the main room where her sisters sat with the younger turtles, Don attending to Screech's wing while Mikey and Pere played with baby Etta. Finally, she closed her eyes and turned back to the food, conceding in a low mutter. "Fine. I will eat."

Maria beamed, leaning closer with the fork; Harp's eyes flew open, halting her with their intensity. "But I will not be fed like a child. Release my hands, and I will feed myself."

Raphael and Maria looked to Leonardo, who glanced to Splinter. The wise old rat nodded; the handcuffs were removed. Harp rubbed her wrists, then took the fork from Maria. She ate gracefully, quickly with her head down; never meeting any of their eyes, as if ashamed by her own needs. Taking food from an enemy; a warrior's sin.

When the plate was bare, Harp pushed it awag, muttering a quiet, "Thank you."

Maria beamed and took the plate to the sink. " _Buena_ _niña_. Don't you feel much better now?"

Harp sat sullen and withdrawn. "Take me back to my sisters. Please."

Raphael moved forward; Leo halted him, cuffing Harp's wrists and releasing her ankles. She walked obediently to the main room, head down and silent- her fury had washed away.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked, quietly so no one else could hear.

"My mother would be ashamed of my weakness."

"Harp," Leo's hand on her arm drew her up short. "It's not weakness to eat. Everyone needs food eventually."

Harp's anger was slowly returning- of lying now it's blades were pointed at her. "You're my captor, my enemy. I should not be eating food you offer."

"Would an enemy have loosened your bindings, let you walk as you please?" Leo bit back; he checked himself, gentling his voice. "Taking care of yourself isn't weakness or sin, Harp. Especially when others rely on you."

He nodded toward her sisters. "If you were incapacitated because you starved yourself, how would you take care of them?"

Harp's dark eyes remained focused on her sisters. "You are very wise, Leonardo."

"Not very wise," Leo chuckled, leading her forward again "I'm just an older sibling, too."


	6. Chapter 6

_I know I've pretty much killed this fic by taking too much time between the updates, but I have gotten a few new followers... I was hoping I could get a few reviews? I really what to hear your guys' thoughts, especially about my new characters._

* * *

Leo came back from his early morning run to find everyone else still asleep. Or so he thought- until he went to the fridge for a glass of milk. He had just shut the fridge door when he heard a squeak and looked up; baby Etta was sitting like a doll on the top of the refrigerator. He sighed and shook his head, setting aside the milk jug. "What are you doing up there, Etta?"

She gurgled at him, twitching her ears and grinning with little milk teeth; she'd always enjoyed climbing and poking her nose into odd places, much to her mother's anxiety. Leo reached up for her, lifting her down and holding her close to his plastron. Etta pointed to the gallon of milk, chattering, "Mikmikmik!"

Leo softly laughed; Etta was beginning to talk—it had taken her a while, which had originally made them worry. But now she was proving to be a smart baby—demanding, too. "I'll get you some milk."

He pulled her bottle out of the cupboard, pouring in milk and placing it in the microwave. He punched in the numbers for one minute of warming, then let Etta hit the start button and held her so she could watch the bottle rotate in the microwave. When the timer beeped, she tried mimicking it; Leo sat her on the counter, keeping a watchful eye over her as he tested the warmed milk. Finding it suitable he capped it with a sturdy rubber nipple and gave it to her; Etta squealed and began chugging; Leo put away the milk and picked her back up, walking out of the kitchen.

Etta left off her milk for a moment to squeak, "Goh, goh!"

Leo smiled as she popped her bottle back in her mouth. "Where do you want to go?"

The baby pointed to the living room: like he'd said- demanding.

At her command, Leo walked into the living room. Harp was awake, as were her sisters. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Leonardo," Harp greeted, her sisters echoing her.

Etta had already drained her bottle: in her eyes, it was no longer of use to her. She dropped it, gurgling to the sisters. "Gomonin."

Pere grinned back at her. "Good morning, baby."

Screech spoke, too- perhaps the first time in days. "We were never told her name."

"Etta," Leo responded, shifting the baby so he could grab her bottle. "Lisabetta, actually, but only Splinter or Maria use her full name."

But Harp was already on her feet, offering Etta the empty bottle with bound hands. "Well then, Etta. I believe this belongs to you."

Etta took it with a gurgled something- Leo guessed it was her attempt at 'thank you'- and immediately threw it back. Before Leo could chide her, Harp caught it midair. She offered it again, raising one eyebrow. "Quite an arm, little one. But do not throw your bottle."

Etta screwed her nose to one side, and burst into loud chatters and shrill squeals- her version of an argument. Harp looked impassively on as Leo tried to hush the baby, to no avail- she would have her say, as garbled and unintelligible as it was. Maria came running down the hall, nightgown wrinkled and hair a mess, the other brothers right behind her. " _Cielos arriba!_ Where's Etta- what's wrong?"

Upon seeing her mother, the baby stopped her rant and chirped to be let down; Leo lowered her to the ground, soothing his family. "She's here, she's fine- just a little tempered. Good morning."

Maria sighed, running her fingers through her black hair and crouching to scoop up her daughter. " _Mio cattivo temperato bambino_ , you must learn some manners."

Baby Etta pressed her black nose to Maria's cheek, then chirped again. Maria let her down- she crawled off; Maria turned toward the kitchens. "I'll start breakfast."

Mikey followed her, to either help or hinder. Donnie followed, too, barely above comatose without his morning coffee. Raph dumped himself on the couch, watching the sisters. "Good morning, girls."

Pere offered a good morning for herself and Screech: Harp turned away, offering "Good morning, Raphael," over her shoulder. Baby Etta had crawled to Leo's feet and stood- she reached out to grab Harps' trailing gray feathers as she walked away. Leo read a very real fear in every line of Harp's body, saw it freeze over the inferno in her eyes as she whipped around. The quick movement unbalanced the mutant baby- she fell forward on her hands and knees, unharmed- but the sudden motion scared her into wailing.

Leo quickly scooped her up, hushing her: Maria popped back out of the kitchen in time to see Raph push his older brother aside to get in Harp's face. "What is _wrong_ with you?! I know you hate us, but you _don't_ get to take that out on the baby!"

"I didn't mean to harm her!" Harp shouted back, the inferno in her soul blazing hotter at the provocation, melting away the icy fear.

"She's not hurt," Leo interjected, speaking to the two hotheads and to the freshly worried Maria- Master Splinter came out of his meditation chamber and ushered her back into the kitchen.

Raph's blood was still hot. "Then what's your problem?!"

Harp wasn't one to back down when called for a fight. "She grabbed my wings!"

"She's a BABY!"

"She could've pulled a feather!"

"A _feather_ ," Raph snorted like a bull. "A pathetic feather- it would grow back!"

"A feather of my size would take _weeks_ to grow back," Harp snarled: Raph shut up at her intensity. "I wouldn't be able to fly for _months_." Her rage did not lessen as she lowered her voice to a hateful hiss. "The worse thing you could do to a winged creature is keep it from flying."

There was silence as what she'd said sunk in; Master Splinter came forward, stroking his beard. "Release them."

"What?!" Raph protested. "Sensei, she'd kill us!"

Harp didn't correct him, dark eyes level on Splinter. He held her gaze and nodded to his son. "I have been deeply meditating, and what Harp has so passionately explained, it is unjust to keep an angel bound to the earth. Untie them."

Raph obeyed, but showed his anger by jerking out a sai and stomping to Pere, slicing through her bonds. Then he turned to Harp; the eldest sister quietly murmured her response to Splinter, more resigned than angry. "We are not _angels_."

Raph drew back his sai, growling, "Do you want your wings cut free?"

"Yes!" Harp quickly interjected, voice too close to begging. "Please."

Raph cut off through her many ropes and bindings, letting them drop to the floor as he walked away. Harp almost timidly tried her wings, twitching them away from her shoulders; Leo saw her wince when the stiff muscles of her back protested.

Then a heavensent miracle: Harp smiled, baring white teeth in a grin as she flung open her wings to their full length- an awesome sight, her wingspan long and her muscles powerful under her feathers. She closed her eyes and bowed her head to Splinter, voice light with elation and thick with gratitude. "Thank you."

Splinter spoke, voice gentle. "We cannot yet take you to the surface, where you may fly free. But perhaps in time..."

* * *

 _Progress, yes?_


	7. Chapter 7

_Again, SO sorry this took SO long. The story's fighting me._

* * *

After three more days, Doctor Don checked Screech's broken wing. The silent sister laid flat on her belly on his examination table as Donatello cut through the wrappings and set aside the splint.

He raised hesitant hands, glancing to her. "Tell me if anything hurts, okay?"

She blinked, slowly; her wordless agreement. Don nodded back, then felt along her wing bones with gentle fingers. "Everything feels okay... whatever mutation is on your genes must've given you remarkable healing processes."

"Probably," Pere piped up; she sat cross-legged on the counter, watching. "It would explain a few things- remember that one time when you snapped your ankle and your elbow and your ribs and-"

"And my everything," Harp finished levelly, hawk eyes watching Donatello every move. "I remember."

On the other side of the lab, the other three turtles leaned against the wall, arms crossed over their plastrons. Mikey quirked an eyeridge. "Your everything? Really?"

"13 bones," Harp clarified.

Leo couldn't help but delve deeper. "What did you do?"

"Pere got hurt and fell from the sky, I caught her." The eldest's dark eyes wavered for only a moment, glancing up to meet meet the brothers eyes. "We hit the ground and I rolled."

Raph whistled low. " _Wow_... some catch. What did you break, Pere?"

"Nothing- I just got this little cut-"

"Ahem," Don coughed, hushing his audience. "Screech, your wing looks fine. We'll just wrap it and wait a few more weeks, okay?"

Screech blinked again. Don smiled at her. "Where's the vet wrap?"

"Actually..." Raph rubbed he back of his neck. "I used it all yesterday."

Mikey snickered snickered at some inside joke; Leo pulled out his shellcell. "I'll call April..."

* * *

It was a half hour before O'Neil came, Casey Jones along behind her. "Who got hurt enough to require _thirty-six_ rolls of Vet Tape?!"

"Relax, April," Maria soothed, practicing her knitting while Baby Etta squirmed around in her play pen. "None of the boys are hurt."

April held up the grocery bag she held. "Then what-"

Splinter sipped at his ever-present cup of tea. "It is for our guests."

"Guest? Who-" and then it was as if she finally noticed the three winged sisters- they'd moved out of the cramped lab and into the main room. Since Screech's wing was free, they'd taken the chance to preen, laying out their massive wings and taking turns helping each other, running gentle, long fingers over each feather. It was Harp's turn; she sat cross-legged and straight backed on the floor, as if she was on a throne with her wings splayed to either side. She met the two humans eyes with her usual regal coldness.

Casey leaned on the back of the couch, nodding to the girls and addressing Raph. "Who're the angels?"

Each of the brothers froze; Harp slowly rose, shaking out her wings- Leo heard April gasp at the sight. Harp was truly a savage queen, standing just as tall as Jones with all the intimidation of a warrior. "We are not angels. I am Harp, and my sisters: Screech, Pere."

"Nice to meet you." April glanced to Leo before holding out her hand. "I'm April O'Neil, this is Casey Jones."

Her eyes lingered over the other two sisters, keenly watching; Pere lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a wave. "So... which of you need the vet wrap?

Don appeared from nowhere, slipping the plastic sack off April's wrist. "Screech. The middle one."

Screech had began re-preening Pere's wings; Don knelt behind her and opened a roll of vet wrap, quickly and efficiently wrapping her healing wing.

April bent over the play pen and plucked up baby Etta, bouncing her on her hip."So... is anyone going to tell me me what happened happened get these three down here?"

Leo quickly explained; for a moment, everyone was silent. Then Casey clapped his hands together, completely veering off the conversational course."While we're down here we might as well have our armwrestling tournament."

"Jones, you're dumber that I thought," Raph chuckled. "The tournament's biweekly- that means _next_ week."

"He's been pumping iron all week," April smirked, plopping down next to Maria, resting baby Etta on her lap and preparing for the show to come. "He really thinks he can take you."

Raph grinned maniacally, leaning forward to prop his elbow on the table. "Game on."

Needless to say, Casey lost- though not for lack of trying. Then the others tried- Leo, Casey again, Don, then Mikey and Casey took turns on and off. April even tried, just for giggles. And everyone was laughing when baby Etta demanded a turn, squealing until her mother sat her on the coffee table. Her tiny hand fit nicely on a single one of Raph's thick calluses; Raph didn't curl in his fingers, laughing as the baby did her best to push his arm down, squealing and chirping in exertion.

As Raph willingly let his arm down, Leo glanced up. The younger winged sisters had found seats to perch on the sofa's armrests. Harp was perched on the narrow back of the couch, watching the arm wrestling matches, eyes like a bird of prey. When Raph's arm touched the table for the first time that night, Baby Etta let out a shriek of victory and everyone clapped for her. Maria scooped her back up, kissing her chubby cheeks and praising her in Italian.

Raphael grinned, folding his arms behind his head. "Undefeated champion... wanna try again, Jones?"

"I want to try."

All eyes turned to Harp; she stalked around the couch to the coffee table. Raph's face fell. "What?"

"I want to try this arm wrestling." She knelt and propped her arm on the table, had offered in an open challenge.

Raph glanced around; no one protested in his behalf. So he took her hand; her fingers curled around his, and everyone saw her toned bicep anew. April counted out, "One. Two. Three- go!"

And an empasse. Raph didn't push against Harp; Harp didn't push against Raph. They just stared, a level gaze, examining each other's battle plan. After a moment, Raphael started to put pressure on her palm. Harp's arm moved back bit by bit. Raph's grin returned; everyone started to slump back in their seats, excitement over.

Everyone but the sisters, Leo noticed. Screech and Harp were still watching, as always. Leo returned his gaze to the match- if the younger two were still interested, then the match wasn't finished.

About an inch from the tabletop, Harp's arm stopped. Suddenly- Raph's face turned from victorious to concerned. Slowly, steadily, his arm was was forced back. The rest of the family leaned forward, waiting in disbelief and Raph huffed and strained. His arm went back, back, back...

And halted just a breath away from the table top. Raph's eyes flicked to Harp's; she smirked, and slammed his arm to the table. Casey and Mikey burst out of their seats, cheering; Maria and April started laughing. Leo saw Screech and Pere share a secret grin.

As soon as he was released, Raphael reared back, stammering in disbelief. "Bu... buh... what? How are you _that_ strong? What do you bench?"

Donatello started to explain scientifically, but Splinter hushed him. Harp turned, pulling her wings aside to reveal her thickly muscled back. "Back at the aviary, we had a special weightlifting machine, to measure how strong our wings were. We would kneel in the middle of it, and two steel plates would push against us- the point was to push them away using just our wings. I outgrew the machine years ago, but at my max I could push 340, 450 pounds. Probably more now, since I've grown."

Casey jeered, reaching to wrap and arm around Harp. "Dang, dude! You just got beat by a-"

Harp grabbed his wrist and braced his elbow, a fatal edge to her voice, threat know her eyes. " _Do not._ Touch me."

Casey's mouth moved like fish's, gasping for something something to say; Splinter reached out a hand and pulled the kid back. Harp bowed her head to Raphael, graciously accepting his defeat. "Well fought, Raphael. "


	8. Chapter 8

_I tried to let this simmer, in hopes of ironing out the awkwardness. But it's been a while and it never worked. So I'm just going to push forward and you're just going to have to deal with how cringey and uncoordinated this all is. Enjoy?_

* * *

"This wing doohickey must've been that thingamabob we saw."

Harp's eyes widened a little, barely showing any sign of her surprise. "You've been to the aviary?"

Leo nodded. "We were on a mission, for Maria. TCRI had info on her, they were tracking her so they could capture her and baby Etta. We infiltrated the building-"

"Broke in like the spy-kids, kicked some butt, started fires and wrecked a computer thingy," Mikey interrupted, folding his arms behind his head with nonchalant pride. "All in a days work."

"And you climbed down the building, using ropes," Screech spoke, eyes faraway. Everyone glanced at her- she met them with emotionless eyes. "We were there, too."

Leo flashed back to the night of the mission, the dark shadows who flitted through the night. His freshly healed wrist ached with the memory of being thrown against the building.

"One of you threw a steel star." The air around Harp felt like a storm approaching, brewing before erupting; Leonardo could feel himself tensing in preparation to act. If tempers exploded he would need to grab Maria and Etta; Don could handle Splinter, and Mikey and Casey would cover April. "Who was it."

Raphael fished a shuriken out of his belt. "Like this?"

"You threw it, then?"

"I did." Raph nodded, tucking the steel star back away-testing the tempest, daring her to react.

Harp took the dare- her nostrils flared and she snarled, grabbing Pere's wrist and pulling her forward, then spinning her around- gentle, despite her fury- and brushing her wing open, revealing a deep scar where the wing fused with the flesh of her back. " _You_ did this- _you_ were the reason she fell from the sky. She could've lost her wing."

The storm broke, lightning striking and thunder roaring- Harp shouted at the turtle with a fury very few living things could hold inside them. " _ **She could have died**_ **!** "

Raphael began to rise to his feet, meeting her wrath with his own anger- but Splinter rapped his cane against the stone floor, snapping out a command. "That is enough! If you two are to fight, you will do it with honor, in the dojo. I will not have this type of behavior in my home."

Leo felt himself relax a bit as the two disasters-waiting-to-happen slowly backed away, still staring each other down. After a tense moment, April cleared her throat, offering an awkward segway from the conversation. "So... you girls probably have a few good scar stories? The boys do, I'd love to hear yours."

The sisters glanced at each other- Screech wouldn't talk anyway, and Harp wasn't going to. Pere took it upon herself. "We don't really have that many- at least, me and Screech don't. We just have where the Aviary doctors did all their tests and blood draws and stuff."  
Pere and Screech both held out their arms, showing the bumps of scar tissue on the innerside of their elbows; much like Maria's, where the IV had been placed. "But Harp has a lot more- she's always taking the hard blows, so we don't have to. Show them your hands, Harp."

Harp sent her sister a look, which softened when the youngest sister added a soft, "Please?"

The older sister sighed and held out her arms. Everyone- even Raph- leaned forward to take a closer look. Light scars darted across darker skin, lacing from Harp's knuckles to her elbows; bigger and more numerous near her hand, more sparse the farther up her arm. Strange.

Maria took baby Etta's hands before the baby could reach for Harp. "Must be some story."

Harp traced her fingers over the ridged scars on one arm, the risen flesh almost white against her dark, dark skin. "I punched through glass, to help my sisters break out of their eggs."

"You came out of _eggs_?" Mikey raised a thick eye ridge. "What kind of freaky experiment _are_ you?"

"We didn't actually come out of eggs," Pere snorted. "It's kinda symbolic- Harp, why don't you just tell them the whole story?"

Harp heaved a heavy breath out of her nose, folding er arms and shuffling her wings, leaning against the arm of the sofa. "Fine."

* * *

 _As the sisters were growing, they were kept in a state of stasis, in tube-like tanks. They were beyond comatose- less alive than one would think possible. Tubes transferred oxygen in and out of their lungs; their blood was circulated through tubes, as well.  
_

 _Harp was the first to "hatch", breaking out of her tank like it was a glass eggshell. She fell to the white-tiled floor, pushing herself to her hands and knees. The clear fluid she'd been suspended in was in her moth; her throat moved for the first time, working to force out the gunk blocking her airway, choking and vomiting it up.  
_ _When it was out, she threw her head back, sucking in deep breaths. She opened her eyes for the first time since she had been spliced together, wincing against the bright lights and blaring alarms. In stasis, she had heard the doctors talking about this: the system keeping the experiments alive was going into shutdown. It was a program installed for emergencies; if an enemy was to break one of the tanks, the system would override itself, cutting off air and all else to the other experiments. They would die._

 _So Harp forced herself to her feet, forced her legs to move for the first time ever. She stumbled to the next tank, knocking papers and clutter off the desk as she moved. She pounded a fist on the glass- it didn't so much as crack, but the experiment within- her sister- opened her pale eyes. The pipes circulating her blood had stopped working, but she hadn't stopped bleeding. The suspension fluid was turning red, and her sister was turning pale and blue under her lighter brown skin- she couldn't breathe._

 _Harp glanced around, then grabbed an office chair, clumsily lifting it and throwing it at the tank. The glass shattered, fluid oozed out and her sister fell. Harp caught her, gently lowering her to the floor; Harp pounded her back, between her wings, until she gasped a breath, her fluid-slick wing nudging Harp toward the last tank. Their youngest sister was running out of air; she was dying._

 _The youngest, the smallest with wings like a falcon, didn't respond when Harp slammed a hand against the glass. Harp slammed both fists into the glass- it shattered, ripping into her skin, lodging itself in her. Her baby sister fell into her open, bleeding arms. Harp lowered her to the ground, gentle; the smaller experiment didn't open her eyes; she didn't breathe, but her chest jerked sporadically, trying to draw breath through a clogged throat.  
Harp forced a finger into her sister's mouth, hooking her finger; she scooped out globs of sticky fluid and throwing it to the floor, trying to encourage breath into her sister's lungs._

 _Finally, the youngest began coughing, tears slipping down her rounded cheeks- Harp cried over her, then reached to pull their silent sister to her; they nestled together on the slick, bloody floor, crying and covered in blood- newborns._

* * *

"And then we stayed in the Aviary for the rest of our lives, growing and testing. Flying every day." Harp opened her eyes again, pinning Leo with an again stare. "Until we were sent here, to live underground like we were never blessed with wings to begin with."

Splinter hid a smile, rasping, "Perhaps we can fix that."


	9. Chapter 9

_Next Chapter up!_

* * *

Splinter pushed open the doors to the dojo and hobbled in, his sons and the winged sisters following behind. "If we are to take you to the surface world, we must be sure that you can protect yourselves, and that we can hold our own against you."

"We haven't earned your trust, then?" Harp asked, bitter.

Splinter took a stance at the far side of the dojo, where he could watch everything. "We have our beginnings, but it is unwise to give such blatant trust so early in a relationship. Try not to take it personally."

"Have you ever learned to fight?" Leo asked.

Pere nodded. "They taught us at the Aviary, mostly self-defensive stuff. We learned to attack a little, though. Harp learned the most."

The rat switched into his role as a sensei, rapping his cane on the matted ground. "We will split into pairs to spar. Michaelangelo, with Pere. Donatello, with Screech. Raphael, with Harp."

The group split as told- Leo and Casey took their places beside Splinter, settling to watch. The older four of the sparring pairs stepped aside, giving the youngest room for their mock-fight.

"I'm interested in seeing just how well any of you do with your wings," Raph mused, crossing his arms over his plastron.

Leonardo had to agree with him. The brothers had learned to deal with their shells when fighting, even used the hard surface to give them a defensive advantage. But wings were extra appendages; he found himself wondering if the sisters could use their wings to attack, or to shield themselves. Or would they be more of a hindrance, with their weight and bulk? The sisters seemed to get around well enough... either way, he wasn't sure but very curious.

In the center of the sparring ring, Mikey grinned at Pere, taking a stance. "I'll go easy on ya, angelcakes. Nothing to worry about."

Pere didn't take a stance, standing straight with arms at her sides. She shook her curls out and opened her wings a bit, then nodded. "Ready whenever you are."

Mikey attacked, going low with a kick to the legs. Pere almost hopped into the air, drawing her knees up high as she flared her wings out. The two were a good match for each other, energy levels equal- they exchanged blow with block, advancing and retreating respectively. Pere didn't attack much, didn't use her wings but to flit away from whatever Mikey threw her way.

It wasn't long before the youngest turtle grabbed the youngest winged sister by the wrist, twirling her as if they were dancing and pinning her against him, so her wings were trapped as well. She huffed, trying to blow a few ringleted curls out of her face.

Splinter rapped his cane twice on the floor; Mikey released Pere, then offered her a hand. "Nice spar. Did I hurt you at all?"

"No," Pere chirped. "I'm okay. You're pretty good."

At Splinter's nod, Don and Screech entered the ring. Don hesitantly took his stance. "Are you sure your wing can handle this?"

Screech nodded, pulling her freshly bandaged wing tighter against her back. She didn't speak or take a stance, just as her younger sister had. Don waited for her to attack; when she didn't he struck with the gentle precision of a doctor giving a patient a physical test. A deliberate strike from the turtle; the silent sister stepped back, or raised an arm to block the blow. She evaded, never attacked; if she couldn't, she'd tent her uninjured wing around her, letting her plumage take the brunt of the attack.

After a while, Splinter called the match- neither would win, and so neither would loose. Don bowed to Screech; after a moment of hesitation, she did the same, her unbound wing spreading elegantly out.

They exited the sparring circle; Harp and Raphael stalked in, watching each other intently- predators, warriors. Harp began to pace a half, like the bird of prey she so resembled. Raphael stood still, the way Splinter had taught him, maintaining his stance- only moving to keep facing his opponent.

Harp was the first to attack, different from her sisters in every way- ferocious where they were hesitant, lashing out blows- punching, hitting with the flat edge of her hand, raising her feet in hard-hitting kicks. Raphael met blow for block, exchanging hers for his own. Harp didn't often go on the defensive- but she dodged with ease.

Of the three sisters, she made the most use of her wings. She lashed out, striking with the hard bone, used them as a shield- she even used them to distract Raphael so she could land a different blow.

They sparred the longest, giving no quarter and pulling no punch. They couldn't hear the rap of the cane over their own noise; Splinter finally had to call out, "Halt!"

Raphael stopped immediately, pulling back; Harp, mid strike, followed only a moment after, holding her wings half-flared, a sign of dominance. Both stood tall and sweating, chests heaving; finally, Raphael held out a hand. Harp met his eye, watching him for a moment, then took his hand; they shook, then stepped out of the circle.

Splinter stroked his beard, nodding. "You have been taught well enough. i believe it is safe for you all to go to the surface."

"Wings free?" Harp prompted, shaking her own for emphasis.

The old rat nodded. "Perhaps"

* * *

The turtles bound the girls' wrists, albeit loosely and in front of them. Then they all headed up to the surface- the humans and Splinter stayed behind; Splinter to watch over baby Etta while April and Maria prepped for their next grocery run- Casey was more or less forced to stay.

So the quartet of turtles and trio of sisters made their way through the tunnels. At the ladder, they paused in a group at the bottom. Pere glanced at her bound hands, then at the rungs of the ladder. "I could probably do it."

Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed onto the ladder and started climbing- or tried to. She slipped off halfway though; Harp lunged- even if her hands were tied, she'd use her own body to soften her baby sister's fall. But Mikey beat her to it, catching Pere like an angel falling from heaven. "Or I can carry you."

"Wouldn't it be easier to untie us?" Harp huffed, perhaps a little irritated as she straightened and fidgeted with her bonds.

"We might as well," Don reasoned, already reaching for a pocketknife in his belt- but glancing to Leo for permission. The eldest turtle glanced to Harp, then nodded.

A few quick slices, and the ropes were cut- they even took the time to unravel the sports tape on her wing, roll it, and then stow it away in Don's packs. Raph and Mikey went up the ladder first, pushing the sewer grate out of the way- they were backup, in case one of the sisters tried to fly. Leo doubted they would, but it never hurt to have a backup plan. Then the girls went up: Harp, Screech, and Pere. Then Don. Then Leo. They stood in the darkness of a NYC alleyway at midnight, breathing the fresh air. Leo could feel the energy beginning to buzz, as the sisters got more and more excited- they climbed a fire escape on an office building, making it to the roof.

The moon was full, lighting up the city. The sisters seemed to bloom beneath it, spreading their wings, feeling the wind through their feathers. But none of them flew off yet- trust, Leo thought. He glanced to Harp; she looked like an arial goddess, the moonlight glowing across dark skin and light feathers, the wind lifting her hair and wisping it around her neck and shoulders. "How do you want us to do this?"

Her wings flicked silently open, gleaming in the moonlight, catching an updraft and carrying her up.

"One at a time. Screech goes first," the oldest sister decided, opening her eyes- less piercing now, the fire in them tempered, banked.

Screech nodded, striding toward the edge, stretching her wings. She mounted the raised edge of the building, slowly stretching her wings open, testing them against the breeze. A few test flaps, then she jumped upward. A few pumps of her wings and she was a speck against the sky. They watched her wheel upward, wings silent but laughter audible on the wind. Everyone on the ground had their heads tilted back, watching the sky, watching Screech's dark form dart in and out of sight.

Harp had her head tilted back, her lips parted in a soft, soft smile as she watched her baby sister dance across the winds. After a few more moments, Screech came back to the roof, landing soft and silent, not even bothering to tuck her wings back in. She took Harp's hand and squeezed it, then pecked Donnie on the cheek; the turtle guffawed and blushed hard.

Harp just shook her head, still smiling. "Pere."

The youngest giggled, squeezing her older sister in a brief hug, then skipped to the edge of the building. A pace away, she pulled in her wings and cartwheeled, jumping into an updraft and carrying her up. She reeled upwards, then pulled in her wings and dove down, dropping with eye-blurring speed. She pulled up abruptly, soaring inches above their heads before pulling up abruptly, the wind breaking behind her stirring mask-ends, hair and feathers. She spent longer in the sky, whooping and giggling as she rose and dived, before coming in for a screeching halt. When she landed, she pushed her unruly curls out of her face and grinned at Harp. "Your turn."

Harp's smile became a full-out grin- Leo couldn't help but stare; she was a whole different person, separate from the brooding, snarling creature she'd been so far. But then he saw the two sides come together as she rolled her shoulders back and raised her chin, tossing her hair away from her neck; she strode forward with the grace of a royal, the predatory prowl of a hunter. She stood on the very edge of the building, her toes curled over the lip of the concrete. She gazed up at the stars, then glanced down; she spun on her heel to face them- then stepped back into empty air. The turtles jerked- she was free falling, wings pulled in the wind pulling at dark hair and white clothes. Leo felt his heart in his throat- even Screech and Pere peered down as if they were witnessing an angel tossed from heaven.

Halfway down the building, she spun midair and snapped out her wings, shooting up into the sky. She blended into the night, fading out of sight. Her sisters arched back, watching her; Leo could see tears leaking down their cheeks, and he thought they'd been truly afraid. But then he realized they were crying in _joy_. Pere and Screech let the tears fall, whooping and laughing aloud- Leo though he could hear Harp respond from her place in the clouds.

When she came crashing back- Mikey, caught up in the excitement, shouted, "She's gonna do a superhero landing!"- she landed on both feet, bending her knees to take the force of her fall. Her hair was a mess, blown in the wind, and her cheeks were darker with cold. She looked like a star falling from the twilight, bright and heavenly. Her sisters swarmed her, embracing her, wrapping wings around each other. Harp laughed for the first time, tenting her wings around the smaller women. After a moment, they pulled away- Harp ran her fingers through Pere's curls and wiped away Screech's tears.

Then she glanced up to the boys, voice thick. " _Thank you."_

 _"_ Race across the rooftops?" Mikey suggested.

Pere's tears turned became a mischievous smirk. "You're so on."

The two of them were off like a shot- Leo and Harp echoed the same warning, calling after their respective youngests, " _Be careful_!"

The two youngest laughed, already halfway across the block. Raph smirked. "Guess it's up to us five to run the nighttime patrols. I can take the west side alone."

Leo nodded. "I can take the East, Don can take the South. Harp?"

"I'll go with you. Screech, it's up to you- just don't overwork your wing."

The silent sister nodded.

"Great. We'll meet back here at one." Leo made his way to the edge of the building, pressing one finger to his comm. "Mikey, did you hear that?"

The youngest turtle panted hard into his comm, still racing. "Roger that cap'n!"

Leo flipped off one building and to the next; he heard a flutter of feathers and glanced over to see Harp at his side. "You have a comm, yes? If anyone gets hurt, you can tell me and I'll be able to get to them."

Leo would've argued that each of the brothers had a comm, but he just sighed a sort of laugh and shook his head. His part of the city didn't have too much going on- a few would-be assaults, a few almost-burglaries. He launched himself into each fight, knowing Harp was circling above- he didn't doubt she would drop in to help, if she was needed.

But she didn't, not until the end of the night. They were taking a breather from the top of an apartment building, when a woman ran screeching past them, two men behind her. They watched her take a wrong turn into a dead-end alley. Leo was about to drop down, when Harp laid a hand on his arm. He glanced to her; but her eyes were focused on the ground below. "Let me try this time."

Leo leaned back; Harp stepped off the building, landing with a heavy thud between the woman and her harassers, crouched to blend in the dark, wings flared like a wall between the one she was protecting and the ones she was protecting against. The woman screamed, the men drew back with a litany of curses; the swearwords faded into stunned silence as Harp rose to her full height, head high, glaring down at them- a dark wraith of vigilante justice.

"What the..." one of the man was reaching in his back pocket for a knife; Leo jumped onto the fancy scrollwork at the the top of the building, a katana already in hand. But Harp was quicker, grabbing the man's hand and throwing him backward. His partner cowered, already half running away. Harp snarled, a flash of white teeth in the darkness. " _ **Leave. Now.**_ "

The two crooks scrambled, thoroughly scared by what monstrosity they had found in the dark. Harp started to walk away, spreading her wings to fly. Behind her, the woman stretched out a hand and called out, "Wait!"

Harp paused, glancing over her shoulder. The woman wiped at the tears and mascara wiping down her face. "Are... Are you an angel?"

Leo could see her soften; she glanced up to him- to the heavens, the woman probably thought. Then she turned back to the woman. "No. Not anymore."

Then she flew back to the rooftops, leaving the woman alone, safe, and questioning what she'd seen. Leo raised an eye ridge. "What's with you and angels?"

"It's what Victoria used to call us," Harp offered.

"'Victoria'?"

Harp started walking back across the roof. "She worked at the Aviary; she was the nearest thing we had to a mother, I guess. It's almost one, we'd better get back."

Leo nodded, following- he went running just as Harp took to the skies, racing back to their checkpoint. When they got there, Raph was already waiting; Don and Screech weren't too far behind. But it was almost a half hour later, and the youngest weren't back. Don tapped into his comm. "Mikey, where are you?"

No answer.

Beginning to feel worried, Leonardo tapped his own comm. "Michaelangelo, is Pere with you? Mikey? Michaelangelo, this isn't funny."

"We'd better go look for them," Raph grumbled; Leo could see the mounting fear in his eyes.

The older siblings fanned out, searching for their youngests. For an hour, they combed through the city and found nothing- even following the GPS tracker on Donnie's gear didn't help- apparently Mikey had lost the bug in a backstreet. But they did find him a few streets over, beaten and bloodied- unconscious, and Pere nowhere in sight.

The brothers ran to the downed turtle, surrounding him, checking him. He groaned and Leo held back a sigh of relief. Behind them, Harp took a knelt and scooped up a few feathers scattered on the ground- Pere's feathers. Screech laid a hand on the oldest sister's shoulder; Harp sucked in deep breaths, eyes panicked and murderous. "Where. is. Pere."


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry for the wait. I'm gonna just rush through this pic, cuz otherwise it's not gonna get done. The inspiration's not there anymore. But better it gets finished then it's always nagging me._

* * *

Leo knelt beside Michaelangelo, trying to help Donnie revive him; he was struggling to keep control of the situation, with his youngest brother lying unresponsive, with Pere missing, with Screech nearly crying, with Harp ready to fight or fly, with Raphael trying to keep her feet on the ground.

Donnie checked Mikey's pulse, his breathing- Leo saw his face slightly relax as he puled a waterbottle out of his pack and emptied it on Mikey's face. The youngest jerked upright, spluttering and coughing. "Dude! Don't drown the dead turtle!"

"He's fine," Donnie reported flatly, tossing the empty plastic away.

Leo took Mikey's face in his hand, checking the bruising on his jaw and the swelling above one eye. "What happened to you?"

"Where is _Pere_?" Harp's voice left her throat breathless, like she was choking; her chest was heaving, eyes wide, wings twitching open and shut and open again. Her hands shook, scattering Pere's feathers around her feet. Her baby sister's feathers, pulled from her wings. Pin feathers- Pere wouldn't be able to fly without them. Leo's heart twisted as he understood their fear; his memory flashed back to how Harp had feared baby Etta pulling her feathers. A bird without flight. A vulnerable girl. _Danger_.

"We got jumped," Mikey groaned, drawing him knees up. Leo and Donnie got to their feet, helping him stand- Leo noticed the youngest was favoring a foot. "It was TCRI."

"Why would they attack her?" Screech whispered, huddled close to Harp- almost tucked under the eldest's wing, as if nothing could hurt her under their shelter.

"Victoria will know," Harp insisted. "She would know."

"But the feathers..." Screech grasped her sister's wrist. "She would never take away our wings..."

"We're going back to TCRI." Harp wrapped her fingers around Screech's walking for the edge of the building- no stalking gait, no royal stride. This was no time for leisure, for stance; but this was no time to go running into a trap, either.

Raphael grabbed Harp's arm as she passed, pulling her to a halt. "Wait a sec."

"My sister is in danger!" Harp snarled, trying to tug away. "Let go!"

Raphael kept his hold, snapping right back. "Y'can't go rushing into things- you're no use to Pere if you get caught, too."

"Victoria wouldn't hurt us," she insisted; but she released Screech, the fight visibly going out of her.

Gentle now, Raphael loosened his grip, his rough voice softening as he murmured, "We need a plan."

"We broke into TCRI before," Mikey mumbled. "Let's just do it again."

"There's no shipments tonight," Donnie interrupted, tapping on his armguard's computer. "No boxes to hide in."

"They pull the dumpsters into the garages every night," Harp supplied. "Victoria said they didn't want homeless people rooting through them. You can sneak in that way; Screech and I can go in through the Aviary windows."

Leonardo remembered back to their first time infiltrating the TCRI building, the way Harp had crashed through the windows- her story of breaking the glass shells that had held her sisters. Nothing would keep her from them.

"Should we get Casey in on this?" Mikey grumbled.

"Absolutely not," Don was quick to shoot the idea down, scowling. "But we're dropping you back at the Lair. You're in no condition to fight."

"Naw man!" Mikey pushed away from his brothers, determined to walk; clearly in pain, but playing it off with humor. "I'm fit 'n' fighting. Let's go."

It was Harp that grabbed the youngest turtle when he started to fall, holding him up with a shoulder under his. "No. You are hurt, and you will stay at the Lair."

* * *

The stop at the Lair was brief- explain the situation, drop off Mikey, grab weapons and supplies. Splinter merely nodded, wishing them luck; he had faith in their abilities. So did Maria; but she was still about to cry, only holding the tears back for the sake of the baby on her hip. One by one, she hooked a hand behind the boys' necks, pulling them close to whisper a Spanish prayer into their ears, begging for their safety. The boys echoed her amen, promised to stay safe, pressed a quick kiss to her cheek- and she to theirs. She even did the same to Harp and Screech- both sisters seemed surprised, and left off returning the kiss.

Baby Etta gurgled, seeming to sense something was wrong- she started fussing as she watched Splinter start wrapping Michaelangelo's ankle, holding tight to her mother with one tiny fist. She started crying as the other brothers strapped on armor and weapons, wailing plaintively and reaching out for them.

Tugging the wrappings on his wrists tighter, Leo reached for the baby, tossing her high- the way that never failed to make her giggle- and catching her lightly, nuzzling a kiss to her chubby cheeks. "Be good for your mama, sweetheart. We'll be back soon."

He passed her to Donnie, who planted a kiss between her forehead, then handed her off to Raphael, who tickled her furry tummy and kissed her other cheek. Mikey was the last, pecking a kiss to her nose and plopping her in his lap. The idea of his brothers fighting without him hurt more than his wounds; he gripped their hands as they passed, mumbling, "Good luck, dudes."

And then they were off. In the tunnels, Screech's sniffles echoed between the concrete walls. Harp squeezed her sister's fingers, standing so close that their feathers brushed together. Leonardo pulled a cloth from a pouch, then passed it to the crying sister; Harp grabbed his hand as he pulled away, whispering, "You are fortunate to have something to make goodbye painful. Your family is your wings, and I will not keep you from flying. I promise, you will come back to them.


	11. Chapter 11

_And here we go again._

* * *

They stuck to the sewer tunnels until they got to TCRI, only then hesitantly surfacing. There they split; the turtles to the dumpsters, the two sisters taking to the skies. Harp grasped Leo's arm before they split, eyes sharp. "We'll circle the skies until we know you're in place. Give us a signal- I'll assume it will be some sort of explosion."

Raphael snorted, grinning as he clambered into a dumpster. "Sounds like a plan."

Leonardo wished the winged women luck, then climbed into a dumpster of his own, praying that he didn't get nicked with a needle or injected with some sort of toxic- heaven only knew what would happen when a mutant met a thrown-out experiment. It was only a few hours later when the dumpster began to rattle, being brought into the TCRI garages. Leo held still as possible, waiting for the human voices to fad,efor the lights to turn off. And a half hour later, Raphael tossed the lid off the dumpster, peering down at his leader. "You comin' or what?"

"So much for subtlety," Leo huffed, accepting his brother's hand as he hauled himself out of the dumpster, shaking clingy papers off his legs.

Donatello was already out, a schematic of the building pulled up on his hologram. "This isn't anything new. Freight elevator, then the business elevator, secret staircase."

And thus they went; it wasn't as big of a fuss as last time; all the workers had gone home for the night. And thus, no explosions. When they got to the secret stairwell, Donnie pulled a heavyduty flashlight, setting it to strobe and pointing it out the window. "Best we can do in lieu of an explosion."

Outside the window, Leo could see two figures circling in the clouds- he and his brothers stepped out of the way, watching the two sisters pull in their wings and come like arrows, straight for the window. Harp was the first; she drew up at the last second, crossing her arms in front of her face, her knees up, bracing for contact with her wings thrown around her. Glass shattered and rained down; Leo cast up an arm, blocking the shower. When he glanced up, Screech was gently landing, placing her feet clear of the glass. Harp lowered her wings and her arms, littered with shards of glass and bleeding from numberless cuts. But her eyes- there was a killer in her eyes. A bird of prey ready to tear out a throat with her talons, with her bare _fingers._ She flapped her wings, scattering the glass away from her. "Let's go."

* * *

The wall had been fixed, sheetrock and plaster covered where they had punched through to the staircase behind it. Raphael drew back a fist, ready to destroy it all again; Screech halted him, looping an arm around his bicep. "What are you doing?"

Raphael glanced down at her, raising a crested brow. "Getting to the staircase?"

"There's a door," she gestured toward Harp, who smirked as she pushed on a wooden panel; it swung open, revealing a hidden doorway.

Leo had to smile at the way Raphael huffed, following the others into the staircase. "Isn't that handy..."

It was easier not to break down a wall, but also a lot darker; Donnie flicked on the lights of his pack. Two floors up, and Harp brushed past them all to open another panel, to the Aviary. It was dark; they spread out, ready for a fight, the only noises their own. Donatello pulled his bo staff out, slowly panning his lights over the room. The room hadn't changed at all; the broken glass tanks, the wing-weight machine, the beds, the table with three seats... and there, suspended from the ceiling; a metal cage, with a form huddled inside, shaking.

"Pere!" Harp shouted, sprinting over- Screech was right on her heels. The brothers followed behind, weapons drawn. Pere was whimpering, on her knees. The cage was far too small for her, her wings- thin with lack of feathers- cramped, pushed painfully against and in-between the bars. A cage, in what had been their home- a cage for an angel. Harp could barely fit her arm between the bars to grab for her baby sister's hand. "Pere, talk to me. Where are you hurt?"

"My wings," Pere cried, tears leaking down her round cheeks as she wrapped her fingers through Harp's. "They pulled out my feathers and put me in a cage and, and-"

"It's okay, we're here, we're gonna get you out." Harp's free hand fisted around the bars; Leo was sure she would have pulled the cage to pieces, if she had the strength, if she could fit her wings between the bars and push them away.

Leo scanned the room for a key; there was none in sight, and no keypad on the cage- only an old-fashioned lock. Like a birdcage, only steel bars instead of gilded brass. Donnie rummaged in his bag, pulling out a portable crowbar he'd made long ago, flipping it out and stabbing one end into the hinges of the cage. "Let's get her out, real quick. We don't want someone to find us."

There wasn't much to do, once Raphael took the crowbar and started heaving back on it- the steel wouldn't break easily. Harp and Screech reached into the cage as far as they could, crooning comforts, wiping tears from Pere's cheeks, squeezing her hands. Donnie and Leo stood guard, backs to the cage and weapons ready. Something didn't feel right to Leonardo; he tightened his grip on his katanas, murmuring, "Hurry up; we don't want any late workers to find us."

"Too late." The lights flicked on, blinding the group; Leo grit his teeth, blinking to adjust his eyes. Behind him, Harp whirled, snarling out a name like a curse. " _Victoria_."

An older woman stood in the doorway, hand on the light switch. She looked like a kind grandmother- upon closer look, everything was fake. Skin wrinkled, but stiff with botox. Hair noticeably dyed, smile too wide and teeth too white. "My little angels, how good to finally have you back home."

"Why is Pere in a _cage_ ," Screech hissed. "You said you would _never_ -"

"She fought us, it's a punishment." The old woman shrugged. "It's nothing, darlings, she'll be let out in time. And if you don't want the same, you'll ask your friend to leave, peaceably, and you'll stay here."

" _No_!" Harp growled. "We are _leaving-_ Raphael, get that cage open."

"Oh, dearest," Victoria huffed, ladlylike and plastic. "I really wish you hadn't said that. Oh, well..." She flicked a second lightswitch, and an alarm started to blare. "I did warn you."

Leo could hear boots pounding up the stairs and angled himself for the oncoming attack, shouting, "Get the cage open, _now_!"

"I'm _tryin'_!" Raphael growled back, heaving on the crowbar.

The Aviary doors burst open, nighttime security guards pouring through. Battle began; Leo focused on fighting, blocking blows, delivering blows. Harp fought alongside him and Don- Raphael beat a man across the head with the crowbar, then drew his sai and started slicing away at the bars themselves. The bars clanged against the tiled ground; Screech reached in, gently pulling her sister out, helping her with her wings- she left a train of feathers behind her.

"Can you carry her?" Leo asked, crossing his sais to block a beat stick. "Can you fly with her?"

"No," Screech shouted back, supporting the faint Pere. "Harp can-"

Harp backhanded one man with her wing, punching another in the stomach- she whirled around, arms out, reaching- "Give her to me!"

And then she seized, screaming- not the scream of rage she had loosed when they first attacked the lair; no, this was a scream of unimaginable terror, an angel burning as they fell from the heavens, a stab in the back with hot steel.

Victoria, holding a blade she'd stolen from one of the downed men- before Leo could stop her, she lifted it again, lowered it again... sheared off Harp's remaining wing. Raph threw a shrunken; the older woman screeched and fell, clutching her chest. Harp fell too, collapsing to the ground, the sheer pain knocking her senseless before her head ever struck the floor. Her back was bare, naked without her wings- the extra bone of her shoulderblades stuck through the skin, white streaked with red, muscles and tendons unattached and raw. Her wings, separated and fallen to either side of her, were still flapping against the tile, fighting their death throes. An angel... never to fly again.


End file.
